Portable infant feeding and sleeping unit

ABSTRACT

An infant sleeping and nursing unit is described. The unit includes a base, which includes two side walls and a rear wall and a platform extending between the side walls and the rear wall, where the base is substantially rigid, a cover, where the cover substantially overlays at least the platform of the frame, and where the overlaying cover is removably secured to the base. Also included is at least one positioning support that is removably securable to the platform.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to infant carriers, and, moreparticularly, to a portable baby bed designed for feeding and movingsleeping infants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

No matter what equipment a parent or caregiver has at their disposal,caring for and meeting the needs of an infant child will always be achallenge. For example, a nursing mother must create a suitableenvironment conducive to breastfeeding. Such an environment involvescomfortable positioning of the baby, as well as comfortable positioningfor the mother. Also, because breastfed babies typically feed aroundnaptimes or even in the middle of the night, and because infants oftenfall asleep near or at the end of their feeding time, the process ofbreastfeeding must accommodate the needs and safety requirements of asleeping infant.

In an effort to minimize the possibility of sudden infant death syndromeand other infant death (“SIDS/OID”), many doctors recommend that infantssleep in particular positions, to increase the flow of oxygen into theinfant as well as reduce the number of episodes of apnea. Numerousproducts have been designed to help position a sleeping baby. Forexample, such products often involve foam props and/or materials thatmay be molded to the shape of an infant to hold or support the infant inspecific positions, such as lying on their back or on their side.

Another infant care issue relates to the movement of a sleeping infant.A parent or caregiver will at times be required to go to great lengthsto get their infant to sleep. In these situations, the infant invariablywill fall asleep in an undesirable location and will need to be movedwithout disturbing the sleeping child. For example, a nursing mother mayneed or choose to breastfeed their infant in the mother's bed in themiddle of the night. In such a case, the mother may wish to move theinfant back to a crib or bedside bassinette without waking the infantup. In another example, the baby may fall asleep in a living room andmay need to be moved to a nursery. Such transporting of the baby must bedone with minimal disturbance to the infant's sleeping position, lestthe infant awaken, and require the parent to start the process overagain.

While there are many products available to address some of these infantcare issues, no single product answers all of these needs. For example,a nursing pillow, while providing a comfortable position for the babyand mother during breastfeeding, does not provide a safe sleepingenvironment, should the infant fall asleep after feeding. The mothermust then move the infant to a safer sleeping environment, whichrequires disturbing the sleeping infant by lifting the infant from thepillow and moving the infant to the new location. Thus, the nursingpillow does not provide enough rigidity and other safety supports toallow the pillow to be picked up without the position of the infantbeing disturbed. In another example, an “infant nest” which may besimilar to a bassinet, but with an assortment of added foam supports andpositioners, can provide a safe sleeping environment. However, whilesuch infant nests may decrease the occurrence of SIDS/OID, they do notprovide suitable access to a nursing mother who wishes to breastfeed theinfant in the infant nest.

Thus, a need exists for a device that provides for both the ease andcomfort of breastfeeding, or even bottle feeding, as well as, an infantsleeping environment that not only provides for safe positioning of theinfant, but also allows for transport of the device without disturbingthe position of a sleeping baby in the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes an infant sleeping and nursing unit. Theunit includes a base having two side walls, a rear wall, and a platformextending between the side walls, a cover, where the cover substantiallyoverlays at least the platform of the base, and wherein the overlayingcover is removably secured to the base. Also included is at least onepositioning support, where the at least one positioning support isremovably securable to the covered platform. Also, the base limitssubstantial deformations of the platform when the platform is lifted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Understanding of the present invention will be facilitated byconsideration of the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an internal base according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an outer cover according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a positioning insert placed inside theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom isometric view of a cover illustrating one method offastening the cover to a base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the presentinvention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevantfor a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating,for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in infant feedingand sleeping units. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognizethat other elements and/or steps are desirable and/or required inimplementing the present invention. However, because such elements andsteps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate abetter understanding of the present invention, a discussion of suchelements and steps is not provided herein. The disclosure herein isdirected to all such variations and modifications to such elements andmethods known to those skilled in the art.

The present invention is a multi-functional unit for the care ofinfants. While an infant as described herein may generally be thought ofas a child of less than one year of age, the present invention may bemost suitable for infants of approximately six months of age or less, orfor those infants who cannot yet crawl. For example, the presentinvention may be used to increase the comfort of both a nursing motherand a feeding infant. The present invention also provides a safesleeping environment designed for sleeping in selective positions.Additionally, the present invention provides for the movement of asleeping infant inside the same unit without disruption of the infant'ssleeping position.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention isshown. In this embodiment, a multi-functional unit 10 may have ahorizontal, planar surface area 140, defined on three sides by a backwall 120 and two end walls 130, and an opening 150. Planar surface area140 may be roughly rectangular in shape to accommodate an infant lyingdown within surface area 140. Surface area 140 may vary in lengthbetween end walls 130, but should be suitable to fit a fully extendedinfant from head to toe within surface area 140 without touching endwalls 130. The width of surface area 140 between back wall 120 andopening 150 may also vary, though this width should be suitable for aninfant lying lengthwise between end walls 130 to fit with slightlyextended arms between back wall 120 and opening 150.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, unit 10 may be composed of an internalbase 200 (shown in FIG. 2) and a removable outer cover 300 (shown inFIG. 3), which may cover at least the walls and top surfaces of internalbase 200. The general shape of unit 10 may be defined by internal base200. Therefore, the three wall design and dimensions of planar surfacearea 140 as described for unit 100 above may also apply to internal base200. Internal base 200 may be made of a plastic mold, or constructedfrom any sturdy, preferably lightweight material, however, internal base200 must provide enough rigidity such that when an infant is lyingwithin surface area 140, the infant's sleeping position will beminimally disturbed should unit 10 be picked up and moved to a newlocation.

Internal base 200 may have attachment sites 210 on surface area 140 nearend walls 130 and back wall 120 for securing outer cover 300 to internalbase 200. Attachment sites 210 may also be located on any portion ofsurface area 140, including back wall 120 and/or end walls 130, providedthe attachment sites are placed so that outer cover 300 does notsignificantly shift when placed over top and attached to internal base200. Such attachment sites may be, for example, Velcro, snaps, buttons,reusable adhesives, or any other attachment mechanism as understood bythose skilled in the art.

Internal base 200 may also contain ridges, grooves or additionalstructures on surface area 140 or any of end walls 130 and back wall120. For example, multiple ridges running parallel to back wall 120 mayform part of surface area 140 to help create a better contact surfacefor outer cover 300 to rest on, as well as to act as stiffeners for theplatform.

The bottom surface of internal base 200, and consequently the bottomsurface of unit 10 (not shown in Figure), may be flat, such that unit 10may be placed on a table, floor, bed, co-sleeper, or even the lap of anadult. Alternatively, the bottom surface may contain fixed or foldablesupports, such that unit 10 may be slightly raised off the surface it isplaced on. Such supports may provide space for blankets or other itemsto pass under or around unit 10 without decreasing the stability of unit10.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, outer cover 300 may be defined by twoportions, a fitted portion 330 and an underneath portion 340, where bothportions are differentiated by a folding region 310. Fitted portion 330may generally conform to the shape of internal base 200 when placedovertop of internal base 200, and underneath portion 340 may fold atfolding region 310 along opening 150 of internal base 200, such thatunderneath portion 340 may cover the bottom of internal base 200. Fixedto the inside surface of outer cover 300 (not shown), the reciprocalportions of the attachment system for attachment to attaching regions210 may be found, such that when the attachment system is engaged, outercover 300 may fit smoothly and not significantly shift along the surfaceof internal base 200. Outer cover 300 may be made of any sort of fabricor other flexible material that is generally soft to the touch and ismachine washable, such material may also include desirable features suchas fire retardation, water resistance, and anti-staining.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, outer cover 300 may also contain a zipper 320or other securing mechanism. As illustrated in FIG. 5, zipper 320 orother securing mechanism may be located along the perimeter ofunderneath portion 340 and the bottom edge of fitted portion 330, suchthat when outer cover 300 is placed over top of internal base 200 andunderneath portion 340 is folded underneath, outer cover 300 may zipshut and enclose internal base 200. Alternative securing mechanisms maybe used in place of zipper 320, such as Velcro, snaps, buttons, or anyother attaching mechanism that allows outer cover 300 to be detachablefrom internal base 200 and suitable for machine washing.

Alternatively, outer cover 300 need not fully enclose internal base 200.For example, attachment sites may be located along the bottom edge ofback wall 120 and end walls 130, or on any portion of the bottom surfaceof internal base 200, with the reciprocal attachment portions placed onthe corresponding inside surface of outer cover 300. Thus, an underneathportion 340 may be partially or even entirely eliminated. As long asfitted region 330 of outer cover 300 provides a smooth and comfortable,secured surface over surface area 140, any remaining portion of internalbase 200 may be exposed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, outer cover 300 mayfurther contain a rubber, plastic, or other water resistant layer builtinto outer cover 300 or as an additional lining of outer cover 300.Also, a mesh or open-weave section may make up any portion of outercover 300, such as, for example, a mesh side panel along the innersurface fitted over end walls 130 and/or back wall 120. Such a mesh oropen-weave portion may promote better airflow inside surface area 140.

In another embodiment of the present invention, handles or othergrasping regions may be provided. For example, handles may be attachedor form part of outer cover 300 on the portion covering the outsidevertical surface of end walls 130. In another example, handles orindented grasping regions may be placed directly into the outsidevertical surface of end walls 130 of internal base 200. In thisembodiment, a hole or cut out portion may be placed in the correspondingportion of outer cover 300, such that when outer cover 300 is secured tointernal base 200, the handles or grasping regions extend through or areaccessible through the holes in outer cover 300. In yet another example,long loops may be attached to end walls 130, such that these loops maybe held at one point centered above unit 10, much like a basket. Itshould be understood that any additional handles or grabbing regions maybe placed strategically about the unit, such that the unit may be easilypicked up when empty or when holding an infant.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an insert 400 placed within unit 10 is shown.Insert 400 may be of a dimension such that it may fit within surfacearea 140. However, when insert 400 is placed within surface area 140 ofunit 10 with an infant placed atop insert 400, the infant should not beraised above the height of end walls 130 and back wall 120, such thatthe infant could potentially fall out of unit 10. Insert 400 may includea machine washable surface that may also provide other desirablefeatures, such as flame retardation, water resistance, anti-staining,and the like.

Insert 400 may provide additional comfort and support to an infant wheninsert 400 is placed inside surface area 140 of unit 10. Such supportsare important for attaining safer infant sleeping positions, such as onthe infant's back or side. Additionally, the success of anybreastfeeding session is greatly affected by the positioning of theinfant in relation to the mother, as the correct position promotes astronger latch, as well as ease of swallowing for the infant.

Insert 400 may include any number of positioning supports 410 to assistin the positioning of an infant when the infant is lying atop insert400. For example, insert 400 may include two wedges or rolls positionedsuch that an infant may be placed between the wedges and held fromrolling to one side or the other. In another example, a pair of wedgesor rolls may be placed such that an infant's head may rest comfortablybetween or on one of the wedges. In yet another example, a flexibleand/or expandable roll may be positioned on insert 400, such that whenan infant is placed on insert 400, the flexible and/or expandable rollmay wrap or conform to the shape of the infant which is in contact withthe roll, such as wrapping around the periphery of the head, forexample.

Any positioning supports may be permanently attached to insert 400, ormay be separately attachable to surface insert 400 via an attachmentmechanism, such as Velcro, buttons, snaps or the like. Also, positioningsupports 410 may be composed of foam, sponge, fabric, or any other softand/or impressionable material.

The top surface of insert 400 may also include molded regions 420.

These molded regions may be designed to conform to portions of aninfant's body when the infant is lying atop insert 400. For example, anindented region may be located at the resting point of the infant'shead.

Such a mold may reduce the occurrence or severity of “flat head”, aswell as provide better ergonomic support and better posturing for theresting infant. To create a molded region 420 within the surface ofinsert 400, a breathable and impressionable foam may be used, or anyother material that may hold the molded form.

Insert 400 may be a single structure, or alternatively, may be composedof an internal base and a removable and machine washable outer cover,similar to the construction of unit 10.

Insert 400 may be removable from unit 10, such that different insertsmay be used as desired with unit 10. Also, insert 400 may furtherinclude on its bottom surface an attachment system for attachment toouter cover 300 of unit 10. Such attachment system may be the same asany attachment system described herein, such as Velcro, buttons, snaps,or the like.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, equivalentsleep positioning supports 410 and/or molds 420 may be directly attachedto outer cover 300, without the use of insert 400. In such aconstruction, it would require an attaching mechanism, such as Velcro,snaps or buttons, on both sleep positioning supports 410 and the outsidesurface of outer cover 300.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an additionalwall or barrier may be attached to unit 10, such that the additionalwall or barrier may cover opening 150. For example, if a parent orcaregiver places unit 10 on a tabletop with an infant inside unit 10,the additional wall may block opening 150 to help prevent the infantfrom rolling out of unit 10. Such additional wall or barrier may be asturdy fabric stretched along opening 150 and attached to each of endwalls 130, or it may be a plastic or other rigid retainer wall thatfastens to each of end walls 130.

With the above described exemplary embodiments in mind, unit 10 mayprovide for an array of uses while minimizing the disruption of theinfant's environment. In an exemplary scenario of use, a nursing mothermay place her infant into unit 10, such that the baby is strategicallypositioned at an angle optimal for both breastfeeding and safe sleeping,and place unit 10 on the mother's bed. In such a scenario, the infantmay be facing toward opening 150 of unit 10, and the mother maycomfortably breastfeed by lying up against opening 150. When the infantfalls asleep at the end of the feeding, the mother may simply lift unit10 with the sleeping baby inside, and place unit 10 into a co-sleeper,crib, bassinet, or other location designated as the infant's bed.Because the baby is already in a safe sleeping position within unit 10,and because unit 10 is structurally rigid, the infant is moved to thenew location without disrupting the current sleeping position.

In another exemplary scenario of use, a nursing mother may awake in themiddle of the night to breastfeed the infant. In this situation, theinfant may be positioned and fed as described above, but instead of themother getting up and moving unit 10 to another location, the mother maysimply leave unit 10 on the bed with the infant inside it. Because unit10 may be an independent safe-sleeping device, and may furthermoreprovide rigidity and containment walls, it is unlikely to be “rolled ontop of” by an adult. Therefore, a safe sleeping environment may becreated in the parental bed, which may make the process of multiplenightly feedings less tiring for the mother.

Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many modificationsand variations of the present invention may be implemented withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention covers the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. An infant sleeping and nursing unit, comprising: a base, said basecomprising two side walls and a rear wall and a platform extendingbetween the side walls and the rear wall, said base being substantiallyrigid; a cover, wherein said cover substantially overlays at least saidplatform of said frame, and wherein said overlaying cover is removablysecured to said base; at least one positioning support, wherein said atleast one positioning support is removably securable to said platform.2. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, wherein said atleast one positioning support is removably securable to a mattress pad,and wherein said mattress pad is removably securable to said base.
 3. Asleeping and nursing unit according to claim 2, wherein said mattresspad is removably securable to said cover, wherein when said mattress padis removably secured to said cover, and said cover is secured to saidbase, said mattress pad is secured to said base.
 4. A sleeping andnursing unit according to claim 1, further comprising at least onehandle.
 5. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, whereinsaid frame further comprises a removably securable front wall.
 6. Asleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, wherein said platformcomprises at least one molded region.
 7. A sleeping and nursing unitaccording to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises a protective liner.8. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, wherein said coveris machine washable.
 9. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim1, wherein said at least one positioning support is machine washable.10. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, wherein said atleast one positioning support comprises a removable cover.
 11. Asleeping and nursing unit according to claim 1, wherein said framefurther comprises a plurality of support legs on the bottom surface ofsaid base.
 12. An infant sleeping and nursing unit, comprising: a basehaving two side walls, a rear wall, and a platform extending betweensaid side walls; a cover, wherein said cover substantially overlays atleast said platform of said base, and wherein said overlaying cover isremovably secured to said base; at least one positioning support,wherein said at least one positioning support is removably securable tosaid covered platform; and wherein said base limits substantialdeformations of said platform when said platform is lifted.
 13. Thesleeping and nursing unit of claim 12, wherein said sleeping and nursingunit further comprises a mattress pad, and wherein said positioningsupport is removably secureable to said mattress pad.
 14. The sleepingand nursing unit of claim 12, wherein said platform comprises asubstantially planar structure, said substantially planar structurehaving ribs to stiffen said substantially planar structure, and whereinsaid platform further has a left and a aright edge and a rear edge, andwherein said platform is joined to said right side wall along said firstedge and joined to said left side wall along said second edge.
 15. Asleeping and nursing unit according to claim 14, wherein said platformis further joined along said rear edge to said rear wall.
 16. A sleepingand nursing unit according to claim 15, further comprising a firsthandle disposed on said right side wall and a a second handle disposedon said left side wall.
 17. A sleeping and nursing unit according toclaim 16, wherein said base further comprises a removably securablefront wall.
 18. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 16,wherein said base is formed from a moldable plastic.
 19. A sleeping andnursing unit according to claim 12, wherein said cover comprises aprotective liner.
 20. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 12,wherein said at least one positioning support comprises a removablecover.
 21. A sleeping and nursing unit according to claim 12, whereinsaid frame further comprises a plurality of support legs on the bottomsurface of said base.